MMT raises focus on homestay segment
To compete in a growing market, online travel agency Makemytrip is raising focus on its homestay segment, as more and more group travellers prefer booking such accommodations on a holiday.
Classified as ‘Villas and Apts’ (villas and apartments) on the Makemytrip (MMT) platform, the firm has around 170,000 properties listed globally, of which 20-25,000 are in India. This number is likely to increase.
“We’re seeing one or two mega trends in the (travel) market. One or two big vacations are being replaced by four smaller vacations. And, the profile of travellers is becoming wider. It is no longer young people but also senior professionals, women solo travellers and so on. Therefore, the choice that customers are demanding is becoming wider,” says Vipul Prakash, chief operating officer.
Sometimes, he adds, the reason to choose a homestay over a hotel could be economics. Instead of booking, for example, two rooms for a family of six, people prefer booking a more luxurious villa or apartment that they can have to themselves and also pay much less.
MMT has to ensure that basic security and cleanliness are provided by a homestay. Other amenities can be discussed by the traveller with the person booking the accommodation directly. “We try to provide as honest an assessment of what the property facilities are...but, as you are looking at a property or homestay, you can directly reach out to the host through the app and have your questions answered,” explains Prakash.
Last month, a survey by the Gurugrambased entity had 48 per cent of the 3,000 respondents saying they were most likely to book alternative accommodation — villas, apartments, homestays, hostels, cottages, farm stays — for their next trip. The trend is led by millennials (roughly, those born between 1981 and 1996), who show higher propensity for doing this. While Us-based Airbnb clearly leads the homestay segment, the other big player in online travel, Booking.com, has also been adding alternative accomodations to its listings.
A growing number, millennials in particular, is looking for alternatives to hotel bookings when planning a holiday